Snowplow



E. H. FAHRNEY sNowPLow .Filed Dec. 6- 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED, STATES EMERY H. FAHRNEY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SNOW PLOW.

Application led December 6, 1924. Serial No. 754,339.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, EMERY H. FAHRNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snowplows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more specifically to improvements in raising or shifting mechanism particularly adapted though not necessarily limited in its use in connection with a snow plow and which plow embodies a vehicle like structure having pivotally mounted thereon work handling mechanism, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for shifting the work handling mechanism with respect to the supporting structure and with respect to which shifting mechanism the work handling mechanism is adapted to be .freely moved or shifted by the work or by an obstruction over which the apparatus passes and thereby prevent injury to the apparatus.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a r snow plow having work handling shifting mechanism constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion of the shifting mechanism in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in another position.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure 2. Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a suitable supporting Vstructure preferably mounted upon wheels 11, and which is adapted to be driven in any desired or suitable manner from a motor'12 mounted thereupon.

The supporting structure may be of any desired size and configuration and pivotally mounted upon one endrof the structure by means of suitable brackets or supports 13 is a work handling mechanism or structure designated generally by the reference numeral 14.

In the present exempliiication of this in- Y manner so that the work or material will be delivered through the outlet 16. Y

During the operation of the apparatus the work handling structure 14 embodying the centrifugal impeller, the scoop like device 17 and the discharge outlet 16, are

adapted to be swung abou-t their pivot 18 so as to raise and lower the forward end of the structure 17 as desired or as the occasion may demand.

The present invention is concerned more particularly in the mechanism for thus raising and lowering the work handling structure and `such mechanism preferably consists of a rack like member 19 preferably in the form of a toothed segment which is secured to the structure 10 in any suitable manner preferably by means of the arm 20 and is rigid with resp-ect to the supporting structure 10. T

Mounted in any suitable manner upon the work handling structure and in suitable bearings is a shaft 21 having loosely mounted thereupon a pinion gear 22 that meshes with the teeth of the rack or segment gear 22 is a lip or projection 28. A worm gear 24 1s connected with the lshaft 21 for rotation therewith in any suitvrespect to each other that the pin 26 and 19.` Extending laterally from the pinion,

the projection 23 will overlap each other so that when the gear 24 is rotated in one direction thepin 26 will engage the projecf tion 23 on the pinion 22 and rotate the latter about the shaft 21, and the projection 23 willmove. out of engagement or away from the pin or projection 26 when the pinion gear 22 is rotated with respect to the worm gear 24.

Meshing-with the worm gear 24 is a worm 27 connected with a shaft 28 mounted inv a Sima sa This Simfree is mounted in suitable bearings upon the supporting structure and is connected with the shaft 28 by means of an intermediate shaft 34, one end of which latter is connected preferably by a universal joint 35 with the shaft 33- and by means of a universal joint 36 with the shaft 28. If desired the shaft 34 may be of `sectional construction, one end of one -of the sections telescoping into the other i section as at 37, so as not to interfere with the pivotal movement of the work-supporting structure 14 about the pivot 18.

The centrifugal impeller 15 may be driven in any suitable manner from the motor 12,

preferably through the medium of a. belt drive 38.

Inl use and assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 2, the projection 23 on the pinion gear 22 will engage and rest upon the pin or projection 26 on the worm gear 24. By rotating the worm kgear 24 through the medium of the worm 27, shafts 28, 37 and 33, the pinion gear 22 will be rotated by reason of the fact that the pin 26 engages the projection 23 and the pinion gear 22 will move upwardly upon the rack or segment 19. This will swing the work handling mechanism about the pivot 18 so as to elevate the lower rend of the. scoop 17. The parts'will be held in the elevated position by reason of the worm gear 24 and Worm 27.

In the event'that the end of the scoop is raised by passing over an obstruction or by means other than the pinion gear 22 and the rack 19. the work handling mechanism will move about the pivot 18 by reason of the fact that the proiection 23 on the pinion 22 will move away from the pin or projection 26 on the worm gear 24, so that these parts will assume the positions as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. As the pinion 22 loosely mounted upon the shaft 21 the i pinion will rotate independently with respect to the worm gear 24.

Upon movement o f the scoop 17 in the opposite direction about the pivot 18 the pinion gear 22 will roll across the rack or segment 19 until the projection 23 again 'engages and rests upon the pin or projection 26.

It' will thus be manifestthat the Work handling mechanism may be moved as desired about the pivot 18 through the medium of the worm gear and worm, and the work handling mechanism is adapted for free'I pivotalmovement about the pivot 18 without operating theworm and worm gear.

The telescoping sections of the shaft 34 permit the movement of the work handling mechanism about the pivot 18, without renderingthe raising and lowering mechanism inactive.

The teeth 39 on the rack 19 preferably terminate short of the sides of the face of the rack as at 40, to form a bearing surface and the teeth of they pinion 22 also terminate short of the sides of the pinion to form peripheral liange or bearing portions 41, which engage and roll against the bearing surface 40 on the rack 19. These cooperating nanges or bearing surfaces serve as a bearing between these parts and also serve as a means for holding the pinion and rack in operative relation with respect to each other. f

lWhile the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the detailsof construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts. Within the scope ofthe claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Vhat is claimed as new is 1. In combination a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried by the vehicle fo-r pivotal movement with respect thereto, and mechanism embodying interengaging elements fon moving the work handling structure with respect to the said vehicle, the said elements being adapted to be automatically.rendered inactive with respect to each other adapting the work handling structure to be freely moved independently of the said moving mechanism.

2. In combination a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried by the said vehicle for pivotal movement with respect thereto, .and mechanism for moving the said structure with respect to the said vehicle, the said mechanism including a rack and pinion, and an actuating gear operatively connected with thepinion for rotating the latter, the connection between the gearand pinion being adapted to permitl the said pinion to be actuated independently of the said gear.

3. In combination a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, mechanism for moving the said structure 'about its pivot, said mechanism inc'ludinga rack, a piniongear meshing therewith, an

actuating gear. means for rotating the actuating gear, and interengaging means carried by the pinion and the gear for, moving the pinion over :the rack whenthe said gear is rotated by the said rotating means, the said interengaging means being operable to permit. the said pinion to rotateindependently with respect to the said gear while the said gear is maintained inactive.

4. In combination a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, mechanism for moving the said structure about its pivot, said mechanism including a rack and pinion, a gear separate from the pinion, means for rotating the gear, and formations on the gear and the pinion adapted to be brought into engagement to rotate the pinion when the gear is rotated by the said rotating means, the said formations being` movable out of co-operating relation to permit the pinion to rotate independently of the said gea-r when the said structure is moved about its pivot independently of the said moving mechanism.

5. In combination a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, mechanism for moving the said structure about its pivot, the said mechanism including a fixed rack, a pinion meshing with the rack, a worm gear, a worm for rotating the gear, and formations on the worm gear and the pinion movable into engagement to rotate the pinion by the said gear and movable out of engagement to permit the pinion to rotate independently of the gear.

6. In combination, a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, mechanism for moving the said structure about its pivot, said mechanism including a shaft, a pinion loosely mounted thereupon, a rack with which the pinion meshes, a gear connected with the shaft for rotation there with, means for rotating the said gear, and formations carried by the gear and pinion. adapted to be moved into engagement to rotate the pinion when the said gear is rotated and to be moved out of (2o-operating relation to permit the pinion to rotate independently with respect to the said gear and shaft.

7. In combination, a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, mechanism for moving the said structure about its pivot, said mechanism including a shaft, a pinion loosely mounted thereupon, a rack with which the pinion meshes, a gear connected with the shaft for rotation therewith, means for rotating` the said gear, formations carried by the gear and pinion adapted to be moved into engagement to rotate the pinion when the said gear is rotated and to be moved out of co-operating relation to permit the pinion to rota-te independently with respect to the said gear and shaft, and surfaces on the rack and pinion on each side of the teeth on the respective parts, said surfaces coi'itacting to form bearing surfaces between the rack and pinion.

S. In combination, a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, a shaft rotatably mounted upon and movable with the said structure, a gear connect-ed with the shaft for rotation therewith, actuating means for the gear, a pinion loosely mounted upon lthe shaft, a stationary rack with which the pinion meshes, and formations on the gear and pinion adapted when the said gear is rotated, to be brought into engagement to rotate the pinion over the rack, said formations being movable .out of engagement to permit the pinion to rotate freely and independently with respect to the said gear to permit the work handling structure to be moved about its pivot independently of the said gear and the gear actuating means.

9. In combination, a supporting vehicle, a work handling structure carried thereby for pivotal movement with respect thereto, a sha-ft rotatably mounted upon and movable with the said structure, a gear connected with the shaft for rotation therewitln'actw ating means for the gear, a pinion loosely mounted upon the shaft, a stationary rack with which the pinion meshes, and lateral projections on the gear and pinion adapted when the said gear' is rotated, to be brought into engagement to rotate the pinion over the rack, said projections being rotatably movable out of engagement to permit the pinion to rotate freely and independently with respect to the said gear to permit the work handling structure to be moved about its pivot independently of the said gear and the gear actuating means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, on this lst day of December, 1924.

EMERY H. FAHRNEY 

